Naruto Femslash Week 2017 Drabbles
by artlessICTOAN
Summary: All the oneshots I wrote over on tumblr for Narutofemslashweek17, it was super fun! pretty much all of these are probably gonna end up expanded into full fics... (Mythology - TemaRui; First Kiss - HinaTen; Unrequited - SakuTema; Fake Dating - InoTen; Partners In Crime - SakuRui; Space - HinaMatsu; Next Gen - YodoChou)
1. Mythology - TemaRui

Mythology - TemaRui

* * *

It wasn't the first time they'd met like this – and with the way those mortals bickered, it certainly wouldn't be the last.

Technically, they were enemies, borne of two lands, two faiths, but to the same purpose… War. They were often called upon by their separate worshippers, to each destroy the other; but such petty things had never constricted them, even as rivals. There was far more to admire in their sole equal, than in the hundreds and thousands of fleeting lives ending around them, quick and messy and so, _so_ insignificant.

Not like the vision of Temari, gliding in on wings finer than silk, but stronger than iron, the wind dancing wildly around her, idly sweeping away whole regiments, her dark eyes teasing and enticing, as she struck at her rival with her scarred battle-fans.

Not like the thrill of Karui, dancing around the field, crashes of thunder following her movements, too fast to see, but for the brief flashes of gold and the graceful trailing of red, the tickle of warm laughter against a long neck, the quirk of a beautiful mouth, her ornate, pristine blades mocking, keeping the _unbearable_ distance between them.

They fought for no side, for no reason, other than a selfish desire to clash against an equal, seeking those brief moments where skin met skin and when they stared each other down so close, that they breathed the same air.

It wasn't a battle that would ever be won – not even the slaughter of their peoples would decide it, their existence would long surpass such fragile things as civilisation – but in this one case, they would not seek to overwhelm, to conquer, to destroy, for be without each other, would be far worse a fate, than to lose all the battles on Earth. No pride would be worth those moments after battle, when the air was still and sticky with blood, when the two Goddesses of War were left panting and calmed, leaning on each other for support, heads touching as they took these far-too-short moments where they could truly _bask_ in the other's beauty, hands twisted together and murmured praises and promises trapped between them.

Soon they would have to leave and it would be a time for their respective populations to recover, but they knew they would meet again in this bitter clash of hate and fear, where love had unexpectedly thrived, and that was all that was needed.


	2. First Kiss - HinaTen

First Kiss – HinaTen

* * *

Hinata had often dreamed of it; her first kiss.

Who would it be with? When would it happen? What would it feel like? How should she react?

All these questions and more had followed her, her entire life. Sometimes, she would play out the scene in her head, in a million different ways, hoping to find the perfect scenario.

Her partner was always quite nebulous, more a feeling than an image – though during her younger years it was often accompanied by a flash of yellow and blue – but she'd nonetheless managed to build quite a clear notion of what she'd expected from a first kiss.

An honest declaration of love, a gentle hand caressing her cheek, eyes gazing deeply into each other, before lids slowly closed and they leaned in, perfectly in sync, until the moment they finally connected in the most beautiful way…

First kisses were supposed to be grand, romantic expressions of love, a culminating moment in a relationship; _not_ a quick and casual press of lips in-between snickers.

And yet, somehow, she wasn't disappointed, even as Tenten pulled back and gave her a wicked grin, before quickly carrying on with her story, only the bright red blush creeping through her tanned cheeks and the rough hand tightly enfolding her own left to prove that it actually _had_ just happened. Hinata could still feel a slight tingling on her lips, she half wanted to lick them, see if any of Tenten's lip balm had rubbed off on them, but that would have to wait until after her heart had calmed down at least a little.

It hadn't matched her imagination in the slightest, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, she thought, touching a hand to her own mouth for a brief second.

Her girlfriend's story trailed off as it became clear that she wasn't really listening, instead she giggled and nudged her gently with her shoulder. "You're so cute Hina-"

With a surge of confidence, Hinata swiftly leaned over to cut her off, pressing her lips awkwardly, but firmly, against Tenten's, blindly seeking out her other hand to wind their fingers together tightly; they were both shaking with suppressed laughter as they clumsily worked to figure the action out, how best to avoid clashing teeth and bumping noses and it was messy and embarrassing and _so_ perfect.

She clearly still had a lot to learn about _real_ romance and she was eager to get started.


	3. Unrequited - SakuTema

Unrequited – SakuTema

* * *

"You know you could just say something to her, right?" Shikamaru said nonchalantly, blowing a smoke ring towards the sky, she exasperatedly swatted it away.

"You know you're the last person I'd ever go to for love advice, right?" Temari glared at him for a brief second, before her gaze habitually skittered away, back to the gorgeous woman hunched over on a bench, using her lap as a desk as she scribbled furiously onto some form or another.

She'd been watching for a while now, Shikamaru had called her a stalker when he found out she'd been following the woman during their breaks at work – even though it would be far easier to just go to the break room like all the other doctors, Sakura seemed to prefer walking the short distance to the nearby park, to sit on this specific bench, under a heavy, ancient oak tree's canopy, taking with her whatever work she could carry from the hospital – but even calling her every name for 'creepy' under the sun hadn't been enough to stop him tagging along today.

It _was_ creepy, she knew that, but she consoled herself with the knowledge that she wasn't going to ever _do_ anything, other than watch.

She just wanted to keep an eye on her, make sure she didn't stay out too long, the day was cold and there was a thickness to the air that suggested rain, not that Sakura seemed to care, wrapped in her thick raincoat. She couldn't even begin to describe why she found it so endearing, that the woman was so stubborn in this little habit of hers, but it made her heart flutter regardless.

Next to her, Shikamaru groaned, slumping even further down in his seat, so much that he might as well just be sitting on the damp floor. "Couldn't do any worse than you."

Temari didn't even need to look to idly smack at his chest, so instead she kept her eyes fixed on the doctor instead. That beautiful, pale pink hair that had been so carefully tied back this morning, was starting to slip from its ponytail, the short strands that fell into her face getting absently tucked behind an ear, barely breaking her concentration as she juggled the files and clipboards on her lap.

She was nothing if not a hard worker, it was one of the things Temari most admired about her.

Not the only thing of course, there was also her intelligence, even as a recent graduate, she was respected by the hospital veterans, who often asked for her thoughts on their cases. And she had an incredible bedside manner, the way she could coax a smile from a nervous child and calm even the testiest of patients was utterly incomprehensible to Temari – who had gained a reputation as the most insensitive administrative manager the world had ever seen among her colleagues.

She was determined, she was practical, she was sharp and she was kind; basically, she was Temari's perfect woman.

Except for the part where she didn't know she existed.

Well, perhaps that was going a bit far, they'd spoken at least twice, and sometimes she would even _smile_ at her in the hallways, a kind of smile that made Temari have to stop and clutch at her heart for a good minute or so after, gasping for a breath stolen by that woman who must be some kind of avatar of Spring and Hope and Beauty.

So, she knew she existed, she just didn't _care_ was all. So much better.

"You know if you keep glaring like that, she's gonna start thinking you hate her." And, once again, Shikamaru's voice shattered her wonderful daydream, where a beautiful, pink-haired woman was getting down on one knee and declaring her sudden, undying love.

"I'm not _glaring_ ," she snapped, feeling her cheeks starting to burn horribly and mentally blaming it on the cold.

He raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "You sure about that?"

"Ugh! Just shut up, why'd you even come?" she asked, already preparing a retort should the idiot make the obvious counterpoint that he couldn't answer her question _and_ shut up at the same time, probably in that annoying blank tone that always sounded far more sarcastic than should be possible.

But, he didn't, in fact he stayed quiet for long enough that she started to wonder if he wasn't going to reply at all.

"Because I wanted to see how bad you had it," he eventually said, giving her a searching look, "and it looks pretty damn bad."

She knew it was true, but that didn't mean she had to be happy to hear it. "Like you know what you're talking about Mr 'Love is a drag', maybe keep your oh-so-insightful words to things you actually know the slightest thing about, m'kay?"

Well… her insensitive reputation wasn't _entirely_ undeserved.

Luckily for her, Shikamaru was probably the most blasé man alive. "Riiight, because Ms 'I'm so bad at interpersonal interactions I don't know how to look at the girl I like without imploding' is a fount of wisdom."

She sucked in a breath, already preparing a long diatribe that would probably make her father roll in his grave. "As if you-"

"Uh, hey guys."

All at once, that breath was released less like the explosion she'd been planning, and more like a leaking balloon, she didn't even want to turn and look, but her greedy, greedy eyes were clearly plotting against her, because they didn't waste a second drinking in the gorgeous image of a slightly dishevelled, slightly confused figure.

"You two on break as well?" Sakura asked, her expression vaguely uncomfortable, as though she didn't really want to be there.

Unfortunately, her mouth chose _this_ moment to completely dry up, leaving her looking like a gaping, wide-eyed idiot.

"She is," Shikamaru helpfully supplied, nodding in Temari's general direction, "I just wanted an excuse to get out of the office for a smoke," he finished, holding up his nearly-finished cigarette as evidence.

Sakura frowned slightly, but kept any comments about bad habits to herself. "Should you really be saying that in front of your boss?"

He blinked, staring at her like she'd just grown a second head. "But… that would mean suggesting I actually respect her." The grunt as she elbowed his side was deeply satisfying, she was actually kind of grateful; he always knew _exactly_ what to say to get her out of a funk.

"Idiot, just get back to work already, would you? You'll be staying after hours to make up this time, by the way."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," he groaned, pushing himself to his feet and slowly ambling away, throwing a 'Bye' over his shoulder as he left. And suddenly, she wished he hadn't, because now she was left alone with a wonderful doctor, vainly hoping that the cold wind would do something about her deepening blush already.

She couldn't quite force herself to look Sakura in the eyes, so instead she stared at the hands clasping the stack of files she'd brought out with her; short, calloused fingers twitching and tapping anxiously.

"Well, uh, my break's almost over now, so I guess I should-"

"Right! Yeah, I mean, same here-" _god_ she just wanted to slap herself "-might as well walk back together, right?"

Sakura gave a tight-lipped smile, but nodded and stepped back, silently waiting for the blonde to stand up and start walking. She did so with an internal sigh, the first time she'd ever gotten to be alone with her crush and things were already painfully awkward.

And it didn't get any better, the distance between the park and the hospital was short, barely even a five minute walk, but it felt like hours, they both mostly kept silent as they moved, occasionally making a forced casual comment about the weather or work, but any hint of conversation quickly sputtered and died before it could really begin, she started preying that they'd catch up to Shikamaru so there was someone else to bear the heavy air crushing them, but the man could be surprisingly fast when he wanted to be and probably expected her to use this opportunity to confess her feelings.

But she couldn't, not when the object of her affections could barely look her in the eye for a second and her voice was soft and impassive.

It didn't happen and, as they finally strode through the hospital doors together, she couldn't even bring herself to look at the woman as she said goodbye, already charging towards her friend to chew him out for putting her through all that.

* * *

Sakura sighed as she watched the statuesque woman march away, grabbing her co-worker's arm and dragging him down the hall. Well, she'd just gone and blown any chance she might've ever had.

Of all the women she could've chosen to fall for, it just had to be the one with a boyfriend.


	4. Fake Dating - InoTen

Fake Dating – InoTen

* * *

Things hadn't been going well, she'd _finally_ managed to come out to her family, but unfortunately her parents were having a hard time believing it. Not that they disapproved, exactly, they'd been reasonably supportive and had assured Ino that they'd love her no matter what, but the longer she went without talking about a girl, the more they seemed to think she was just using it as an excuse for being single.

They hadn't actually _said_ anything, but she could feel it in the pitying looks they shot her when they thought she wasn't looking, the way they pointedly avoided bring up the topic of relationships when she was around.

So, it was an entirely impulsive and almost-certainly terrible idea to ask Tenten to come to a family dinner as her fake girlfriend, an invitation that she was honestly quite shocked she'd accepted.

It wasn't until the night of the 'presentation' that she'd realised exactly how deep the hole she'd unthinkingly dug for herself was.

The older girl had actually been quite excited about it – her prankster nature was never much of a secret and she seemed to revel in flaunting her sexuality to traditional, older types – enough that she'd gone all out, turning up at her door with a bouquet of hand-picked wildflowers, wearing a rather _fetching_ pinstripe suit, though the jacket was quickly abandoned, leaving just a crisp shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a few buttons left undone, to 'keep it casual' she'd said, but Ino had to wonder if the way her eyes kept wandering to that tantalising sliver of skin wasn't planned; it certainly must've reinforced her… inclinations, to her parents.

But that was something she could deal with, finding excuses to stare at her many gorgeous friends wasn't exactly a new development for her. The constant touching was a little less bearable, the brush of warm skin sending distracting thrills through her entire body, but she decided to just run with it as best she could, giving nervous giggles at every playful prod to her midsection, or casual brush of a thumb against her face.

No, the problem was that her parents absolutely _adored_ Tenten.

And who wouldn't? She was a funny, charming, smart girl, who knew how to play people like a fiddle and – even though tonight was mostly about her putting on a show – she was genuinely nice enough that any doubts her parents might've had about the match were quickly melted away in the face of her all-too-convincing act of a smitten lover.

It was such a good act, that Ino herself almost forgot that they had _not_ , in fact, been dating for 'three months now, but it feels like we've been together our whole lives, right babe?' and that, no, Tenten hadn't asked her out on a windy day, after they'd been over-exuberant with a spar and ended up collapsed next to each other, staring up at the windswept clouds high above, before having to run and huddle close together beneath a tree when the rain had started to fall.

But the way she described it, Ino had found herself nodding along dreamily, a smile on her face that had had to be quickly wiped away the second her mother made a teasing comment about how dopey she looked.

By the time Tenten was seen off by the whole family, her parents waving _far_ too excitedly and urging her to visit again soon, she knew she'd fucked up.

She'd fucked up hard.

* * *

The first few days had been awful, her parents were both so happy about her 'girlfriend' who they kept telling her was definitely a keeper and when was she going to bring her over again, they wanted to bust out some of the old family albums already.

Ino knew they were kidding – probably – but the thought alone made her shudder.

Mostly, because she actually kind of wanted that herself.

So, after almost a week of avoiding the stunning brunette with the killer grin and the perfect abs; she finally caved and tracked her down to her favoured training field.

"Ino! Where've you been, I've been wanting to ask how the dinner went, the 'rents off your back yet?" she called, as soon as Ino had emerged from the trees. She almost looking like an excited puppy as she jogged over, her buns falling apart from her intense exercise and her sweat-doused t-shirt clinging to her body hungrily and _really now_ it just wasn't fair that Ino was feeling jealous of a piece of _fabric!_

She just about managed to clear her throat by the time Tenten reached her, still bouncing a little with that relentless vigour she had – much as she liked to pretend her teammates had never affected her energy levels.

"Well, kind of," she finally said, after realising that she'd been staring too long.

Tenten raised a fine brow, questioningly.

She groaned and flopped gracelessly to the ground, leaning back against the nearest tree. "The dinner went great, _too_ great, they won't stop asking me when I'm going to marry you."

The booming laugh made her stomach twist something awful.

"Well, at least they believe you like girls now, right?" she managed to ask through her snorts, collapsing next to her and wrapping a sweaty arm around her shoulders. "So, my mission was a complete success!"

She couldn't help the snicker, or the way her body automatically leaned into the one next to her. "Yeah, but now I'm going to have to tell them that we've broken up, and they're going to be heartbroken, they'll probably disown me and try to adopt you instead, find you a nice girl who'll treat you right."

Tenten's arm tightened its grip slightly. "Better than you? No way, no such thing," she said, and something about the tone of her voice had Ino's head snapping round to face her, "but, just in case… we could always start planning that fake wedding."

Even though she was clearly joking, there was a more serious question behind her words, one that left Ino's head spinning.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'd like that."


	5. Partners In Crime - SakuRui

Partners in Crime – SakuRui

* * *

Her lungs were screaming at her, as were her legs and head and quite a few angry young men, with painfully limited vocabularies.

Karui didn't care enough to look back at them though – not even to make a rude gesture as she was so tempted to – instead she kept her eyes fixed on the woman ahead of her, pink hair bobbing up and down with her long strides, constantly glancing back over her shoulder, before once again facing forwards, confidently leading them to safety.

They might've been getting scratched to pieces by bushes as they went off the beaten paths through the local park, and the paint that had been dripping from her hair and face and torso was just starting to dry, uncomfortably tightening on her skin, but she felt nothing but _exhilaration_.

Finally in a safe spot – or at least with a pretty good distance between them and their pursuers – Karui grabbed hold of Sakura's arm, gently pulling her to a stop, before they both collapsed into the dingy bus stop seats, panting and sweaty and probably looking like they'd just gone for a leisurely sprint though a paint factory, followed by a field and probably a hedge or two for good measure. "I… can't believe… you did that!" She wasn't quite sure how she'd gotten the words out between her heaving breaths and haggard laughter.

Sakura was practically in hysterics at this point. " _I_ can't believe I just did that, fuck, what was I thinking?" When Karui utterly failed to stop laughing, she turned to her with a frown and flicked at her forehead. "This isn't funny! What if-"

She quickly shut the other girl up with a kiss, still snickering, even as her girlfriend wrapped a strong arm around her and nipped demandingly at her lip.

It didn't take long for her to jerk away, wiping urgently at her mouth. "Ugh, you taste like paint."

"Wonder why," Karui snorted, rubbing her cheek, succeeding only in trailing damp lines and cracking flecks of bright orange after her fingers. Uncomfortable as it was, she would happily go through a hundred more paint-baths if she got to see Sakura chuck just _one_ more paint can at a presumptuous, homophobic dickweasel who couldn't take rejection with a little fucking dignity.

But, now that they were probably safe and she'd once again been made aware of her unpleasant condition, she should probably start trying to clean off; her top wasn't an option, it was caked with the stuff itself, so she went for the best available option.

"Wha- hey!" Sakura kicked up a fuss about her baggy shirt being commandeered, swearing and grumbling that it was brand new, but she didn't make any move to stop her, in fact she unrolled a too-long sleeve to start on her girlfriend's shoulders, while she rubbed her face _conveniently_ close to Sakura's chest. It didn't help much, but she wasn't going to complain about the closeness.

"…Sorry about ruining your painting by the way, I shouldn't have thrown the can in that direction," she eventually said, refusing to meet Karui's eyes when she glanced up.

She couldn't help but smirk. "But, not sorry that you threw it in the first place?"

The little huff Sakura made whenever she was angry was fucking adorable. "Hell no! He was asking for it," she loudly declared, drawing a few stares from disinterested passers-by, "but I didn't mean to get you caught in the crossfire, if it ever happens again, then I'll just go up and punch him, it'd probably hurt more anyway."

Karui couldn't help the cackle that drew from her, and she didn't care. "You're turning into a delinquent; gonna be a terrible influence on me, aren't you?" she mumbled into her neck, pressing a light kiss there.

She snickered to herself at the orange print she left behind.

"I'll try not to drag you into any mayhem I cause," Sakura said, laughing sheepishly and trying to hide her reddening cheeks behind her hand.

Karui gave her a gentle smile as she pulled it away and lightly pecked her lips. "Don't worry 'bout it, there's no one else I'd rather get into trouble with."


	6. Space - HinaMatsu

Space – HinaMatsu

* * *

The first thing she saw when she woke up, was a terrible blurred haze of pink and green and blinding white. Matsuri had to immediately close her eyes against it, wishing she had the strength to bring a hand up to cover them, but every part of her body felt like it was being held down by grasping leaden arms.

"He- ou- hear me? Try to stay calm, just take deep breaths, in, out, there you go, keep going." The voice was a soft breeze to her ears, barely audible through the heavy fog that was choking all of her senses. "Good, now do you think you can try opening your eyes again for me? Take as much time as you need." She absolutely did not want to do that, but something in the back of her mind forced her to comply, squinting against the light, though the longer she kept her watering eyes open, the less blinding it became, she could even start to pick out the hints of a face through her fuzzy vision.

Matsuri couldn't quite think properly, her mind was still drowned in the thick honey of sleep, not altogether unpleasant, but frustrating in its reluctance to slip away.

But, even as slow and confused as she was, one thing rang clear in her mind.

With a breath that made her sluggish chest ache and a hard blink to remove the murky film from her eyes, Matsuri stared up at Dr Haruno, looking down on her with her gentle smile. "We made it?" she asked, her for so long unused voice croaking and horse and barely even decipherable as language.

Sakura nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "We did."s

* * *

Cryo recovery and the obligatory check-up had taken far to long for her liking, she'd been literally bouncing around on the examination table and had peppered the poor nurse with a million questions he wasn't even remotely qualified to answer, he'd humoured her with only light teasing at least.

Once released, she'd immediately started exploring the ship, trying to drag out memories that were a few decades old at this point – even if it had felt like just a few hours to her – it was strange to see it so empty and silent though, she was only among the second wave to be revived, so there simply weren't enough people awake to fill the rooms, nothing like the bustle and anticipation and nervous chattering of dozens of people, when they'd been taken on the group tours.

It was honestly a bit creepy, but kind of peaceful, in its own way.

For at least an hour or two, she wandered, not quite sure what to do with herself before orientation; she could try and track down some food, but the lurch her stomach made at just the thought of it put her off that idea pretty quickly; sleeping, while quite appealing when she still felt the heaviness to her limbs that made her just want to collapse onto something soft and conk out, was basically what she'd been doing for the entire trip and she wasn't the type to be content with idleness; she'd have gone to the gym to run off some of her fatigue and get her stiff body back into shape, but the doctors had been very clear about not over-exerting oneself so soon, and she really didn't want to be shouted at for disobeying them.

So, wandering it was, trying to track down something else to keep her occupied. When she stepped into the observation deck, she found it.

Out of the huge two-floor window, was a view that caught her breath in her throat. She half wanted to cry it was so beautiful. Only a fraction of the planet could be seen from here, the southern pole, but she'd never seen anything like it – not in person anyways – set against an endless ocean of purest black, even the pin pricks of distant stars nearly swallowed up by it, the surface of the planet itself was difficult to parse through the thick smattering of clouds, but thin slivers of cracked white and _blue_ – such a thrilling implication all on its own – could be seen where grey tendrils gracefully faded away.

More than that though, she was struck by the ethereal blue lights, dancing what looked from here like only a few inches off the planet's surface, but she knew had to be a few miles at least.

An _aurora!_ She'd seen the ones on Earth before and they'd taken her breath away then too, seeing something so awe-inspiring and huge painting the sky above for miles around was a sight she'd never forget, nor would she forget the feelings it had inspired in her – exhilaration, inspiration, smallness and just a touch of insignificance – but seeing one from here was a completely different experience, still one of wonder, but instead of feeling tiny and powerless, she felt an unfamiliar weight of importance, being among the first humans to see this sight.

From here, it looked… small, close, like if she could just reach through the window she'd be able to dip her hands in that light, she wondered what it might feel like; she liked the thought that it might be like cool, clear water, the colours shifting and trailing after her fingers as she ran her hands through it.

It wasn't until the gentle cough next to her, that she realised she wasn't alone.

Her head snapped around, stiff neck complaining loudly, but she was too occupied to worry about it, trying to push a flurry of apologies out her mouth, so fast that the syllables jumbled beyond comprehension.

The other woman's smile calmed her though. "It's… beautiful, isn't it?" she said, her voice low and soft and just as awed as she herself felt.

Matsuri nodded shakily, glancing back out to the unknown planet.

"Um…" she turned to the woman again, not quite sure what she could say, she'd never been much good with words.

But, before she could blurt out the first thing she thought of, a kind touch against her cheek chased any semblance of thought from her mind.

When had she started crying?

The woman with the curtain of inky blue-black hair – not quite as dark as the blackness outside, but perhaps even more beautiful with the many subtle shades hidden within it – carefully wiped the tear-tracks from Matsuri's cheeks, giving her an understanding look. "Don't worry, I cried when I first saw it too," she said, letting her hand drop back to her side, before gazing back out. "I feel like I've stared at it for hours already, I just can't get over how _small_ everything looks, it's… exhilarating and terrifying, all at the same time."

She could only agree there. "Yeah, I wonder if we'll be able to land there? I'd love to see how the aurora looks from the surface!"

"Maybe; it would certainly be an unforgettable experience." She was still smiling, but it looked strained and her eyes were sad.

"Are you ok?" Matsuri asked, hoping that her usual inability to interact with any degree of subtlety wouldn't offend the beautiful woman, but if she really _was_ upset and she didn't try to help, then she'd certainly feel worse.

Ghostly pale eyes widened as she snapped to face her, but her shock only lasted a few moments. "I-I'm fine, just…" she trailed off into a laugh, it didn't sound very happy. "Just, scared, I guess, this journey was such a huge decision and now that I'm _really_ here I'm- I don't know if it was the right one, I've left behind so m-much to be here and I can't back out n-now, but I-I-I-" Her fists clenched as she stumbled around the words, breathing getting erratic.

She had no idea what she should do, was there a protocol for this kind of situation she wasn't aware of? But the woman looked ready to burst into tears and her hands were already reaching up to pull her into a hug before she could stop herself.

Shoulders tensed slightly at first, but within seconds they dropped and the taller woman was leaning onto her heavily, tight sniffs muffled against her neck.

Matsuri awkwardly patted her head – marvelling for a moment at how soft and silky that lovely hair felt against her skin – humming a tune from an old cartoon she used to love as a child, one that had always calmed her down when she was having a moment.

"It's ok to be scared," she said, with as much assurance as she could muster, "we all are I think, at least a bit, but we can't think of the past and all the what-ifs, not when there's a whole new world out here to discover, I mean, you must've come for a reason, right? So just keep thinking of it! All the amazing things we're gonna see here, all the breakthroughs we're gonna make! One day what we find out here might help everyone back home, even if we aren't there to see it, isn't that worth it?"

She'd at some point let go of the stranger to gesticulate wildly, but she'd stayed close even so, her eyes wide as she listened.

Matsuri suddenly felt a little embarrassed about being so eager; she _knew_ how annoying she was.

"Ah, sorry, I get way too excited about this stuff…" she mumbled out, quickly clamping her arms back to her sides.

With a gentle laugh and a last sniff, the woman wiped a sleeve across her face. "No, I-I don't m-m-mind, you helped, you really did," she said, and now that she'd seen a _real_ smile from her, Matsuri couldn't help but think the aurora paled in comparison. "You're so passionate… and you're right, I did come here for a reason."

She grinned, hands flapping excitedly. "I'm glad I helped! Usually everyone gets so annoyed when I babble on like that, but I just wanna see everything the universe has to offer so bad and I want to experience all the things I couldn't get back on Earth." she giggled uncertainly.

"M-me too, it's so reassuring to find someone who feels that way, um… I'm so sorry, you just helped me with a breakdown and I don't even know your name," the dark-haired woman said, a pale hand rising to cover her slightly pink cheeks.

She blinked twice. "Oh! Sorry, I completely forgot, I'm Matsuri, an engineer! What's your name?"

"Dr Hyuuga, but I'd prefer if you called me Hinata, I'm the team's lead biologist," she said, holding out a hand patiently.

Matsuri wondered if the shock that went up her arm as they shook hands was felt by Hinata too.

Pale eyes disappeared behind a stunning smile. "I can't wait to experience this adventure with you, Matsuri."


	7. Next Gen - YodoChou

Free Day (Next Gen) – YodoChou

* * *

"I already said I don't care!"

"Well _start_ caring, I've chosen the last five days, it's your turn!"

"Why does it even matter? Let's just eat what we had last night."

Chouchou could practically feel her blood steaming in her veins. "Nuh-uh, no way, we're not gonna eat the same thing two nights in a row, just _choose_ something!"

Her girlfriend's steel-blue eyes rolled, but it didn't stop her fingers clicking on the buttons of her gamepad at the same frantic pace they had been since the argument started. "Ok then, fine, I choose nothing! We can just starve if you're gonna be such a fussbutt- Hey!"

She turned and ran from the living room before Yodo could leap up and grab her game back; it was petty, but then again so was her girlfriend, so who cared?

Skidding into the kitchen, she started scoping out hiding places, but a battle cry from behind and a weight slamming into her back quickly stopped that.

"Give it back!" Yodo screeched directly in her ear, short arms flailing to reach the thing.

Chouchou stretched her, much longer, arm out as far as she could manage, the other automatically securing itself under Yodo's thigh – just because she was being a brat, didn't mean she wanted her to fall and hurt herself. "Not until you make a decision, c'mon it's not hard, just say what you feel like eating!"

The groan lasted at least ten seconds, though her arms didn't stop grasping for a moment, in fact she'd even started pulling herself onto Chouchou's shoulders to get more reach. "I. Don't. Care."

 _For the love of-_

With a shake that jerked Yodo back down, rough hands flapping to catch her grip again, Chouchou marched determinedly to the fridge, glancing over her shoulder to look her girlfriend straight in the eye.

"Oh, don't you fudging _dare_ -"

The handheld game console dropped onto the surface with a dull 'clunk', she immediately pulled Yodo off of her and dropped her on the floor next to it.

For the next five minutes, she just stood back and watched, grinning as her _adorably_ short lover tried and failed to scale the thing and retrieve her property, fingers not even brushing the top edge, even when she stretched and stood on her tiptoes.

It wouldn't actually be very difficult for her to get her game back, were it not for the strict no-jutsu-in-the-house rule – after a particularly rowdy playfight that had ended with the landlord chewing them both out for over three hours – and Chouchou idly kicking her away whenever she went for a dining chair.

"You know, there's a really easy solution here," she said when it looked like she was about to start screaming in frustration. The growl she received let her know exactly what Yodo thought of that. "Oh, stop being such a baby, look-" she stepped forwards to open the fridge door and pointed to what they had on offer "-I can make oyakodon, curry, or some leftover motbunabe, which one would you prefer?"

She didn't let Yodo's typical toddler-pout deter her; so long as she kept silent, she'd give in eventually.

"…Curry," she finally muttered, refusing to look her in the eye.

"Cool, I'll get started on it then," she said, easily reaching to rescue the console. She held it out to Yodo, but just before she could snatch it back, she once again raised her arm above her head and gave her biggest shit-eating grin. "But not before I get a kiss."

Her girlfriend snorted and placed both her hands on Chouchou's broad shoulders, pulling herself up with lean, but _strong_ , arms.

The kiss was short and so, so sweet… up until Yodo headbutted her.

By the time the room had stopped spinning, the other girl had already nicked back her gamepad and was charging through the apartment, her hyena-cackle of a laugh bouncing off the walls.

Chouchou couldn't help laughing herself – her best girl was _such_ a dork – before starting on their dinner.

It took her twenty minutes to realise her phone was missing from her pocket.

"Damnit Yodo, if you've chakra stringed my stuff onto the roof again you're _dead!_ "


End file.
